Giada's Kitchen: New Favorites from Everyday Italian

by Giada De Laurentiis

She’s taught us every facet of Italian cooking—from traditional and regional to seasonal and contemporary. She even made us fall in love with pasta again by opening us up to lighter, healthier versions that don’t weigh us down. Now the Food Network star and bestselling author of Everyday Pasta, Giada De Laurentiis, takes us down a new path, sharing her love of food with clean, vibrant, simple flavors and bursts of bright colors that look as beautiful on the plate as they are delicious.

Yes, you will still find those fabulous recipes she remembers so fondly from family meals, but you’ll also find updated twists on classic trattoria favorites—California-inflected, hearty but not overwhelming, and with the perfect balance of healthfulness and terrific flavor. Wouldn’t you love a faster, lighter take on osso buco (here made with turkey instead of veal), a salad with real substance (like one of cantaloupe, red onion, and walnuts), and fish that gets an Italian makeover by way of lots of fresh veggies and accents such as fennel and grapefruit salsa? And let’s not forget dessert. After all, what’s not to adore about little doughnuts dipped in chocolate sauce?

Ranging from soups and snacks to easy entrées and elegant dinner-party fare, Giada’s recipes are perfect for any day of the week. And for the first time, she includes a full section of dishes that the little ones will love making as much as they love eating (like mini chicken meatballs). With something to please everyone at your table, Giada’s Kitchen deliciously demonstrates why Giada De Laurentiis has become America’s best-loved Italian cook.

Italy meets California In Giada De Laurentiis’s collection of 100 new recipes, she focuses on fresh ingredients, simple preparation, and bright flavors. Anyone who wants to indulge in the pleasures of Italian food without feeling weighed down will find inspiration for delicious, hearty yet healthy weekday meals. Giada’s recipes satisfy both our desire to eat with gusto and to feel good about what we eat.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Nonfiction, Italian Literature, Reference, Italy

240 pages, Hardcover

First published September 30, 2008

About the author

Giada Pamela De Laurentiis is an Italian American chef, entrepreneur, writer, and television personality. She was the host of Food Network's program called Giada at Home. She also appears regularly as a contributor and guest co-host on NBC's program entitled Today. De Laurentiis is the founder of the catering business GDL Foods. She is a winner of the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lifestyle Host and the Gracie Award for Best Television Host. She was also recognized by the International Hospitality Institute as one of the Global 100 in Hospitality, a list featuring the 100 Most Powerful People in Global Hospitality.

Reviews

[John Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations, remarkable photography. Exceptional collection of recipes, easy to follow instructions. Gilda is one of my favorite “celebrity” chefs. I enjoy her very effervescent personality as it comes out on t.v.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This cookbook is filled with interesting recipes, but none that I would realistically prepare. There also weren't photos of each of the dishes, which I think is important in a cookbook.

[Mila Rossi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the only cookbook I bought by Giada after leafing through her books at the store and I'm glad this was my choice. I've had it for years now and I ended up tweaking one of her recipes to come up with my own signature cake now. Her rosemary and polenta cake with balsamic glaze is now my lavender cake, a very unassuming but addictive cake perfect for breakfast, afternoon tea or whenever you feel like stuffing your face. I digress though.... I give Giada points for creativity when she came up with things like asparagus lasagna, asparagus and zucchini crudi and her amaretti torta. However, there are also recipes in here that I'll probably not attempt, such as the eggplant timbale, the fried zeppole or the pasta frittatas baked in muffin tins. Also, there isn't a picture for each recipe which always drives me nuts. How am I supposed to know what the final product is supposed to look like? Argh!
Anyway, overall I like and recommend this book, I just skip over the more complicated recipes.

[Anne-Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love these recipes, what's not to love with Italian food!

Giada's Kitchen offers simple, afordable yet amazing recipes. For such a Top Chef, she was able to make cooking easy and fun. Following her book I was able to cook an inviting meal that my whole family enjoyed and also impress friends at a dinner party with not much more effort.

[Shelby · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are a lot of unique, creative recipes and beautiful photography in here. Several of Giada's recipes have become favorites in my family. Although I have never made a point to watch her show, I appreciate her formal training and all of her recipes that I have tried have been excellent.

[Linda Hartlaub · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delicious book. I read it before bed and it made me want to go into the kitchen and start cooking. Scrumptious photos.

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

How can I get to read this book

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mix of Italian and California. All fresh and appealing - read library edition, then bought a copy to keep. :)

[James Hayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Again another great cookbook from Giada

I love how in this one she includes some fun & tasty kid friendly recipes as well as some really good veggie ones too.

[Nickole Naihaus · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is not a pleasant book to read, the measurements are confusing, and the recipes are not pleasant for those who try them.

[Alaina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty typical of Giada's Italian food menus.

[Robert Garcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is Giada. Great recipes to cook a great meal for family and friends

[Kimberly Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the book and I liked the recipes....It was easy to read & follow. I wish there had been more photos, but the ones there were very saliva inducing..... Then there were the photos of Giada's cleavage which I could have done without... actually the series of photos were of here preparing certain dishes, but he cleavage was right up front center stage......

So, due to the fact that I lost my original post and I'm too lazy to rewrite the entire original review, I'm just going to give you a short list of recipes that I found interesting.....

Fresh tomato & goat cheese strata w/ herb oil; Tuscan mushrooms; Crispy smoked mozzarella w/ honey & figs; Pecorino crackers.

Tuscan white bean & garlic soup; Spicy calamari stew w/ garlic toasts; Curried chicken sandwich w/ radicchio & pancetta; Panini w/ chocolate & brie; and Focaccia lobster rolls.

Grilled eggplant & goat cheese salad; Fennel slaw w/ prosciutto & pistachio pesto; Asparagus & zucchini crudi; Spicy parmesan green beans & kale; asparagus, artichoke & mushroom saute w/ tarragon vinaigrette; and Baked artichokes w/ gorgonzola & herbs.

Pastina w/ clams & mussels; Asparagus lasagna; Giada's carbonara; Swiss chard & sweet pea manicotti; Linguini w/ shrimp, arugula & lemon oil; Orzo stuffed peppers; and Orecchietti w/ sausage, beans & mascarpone.

Rib eye steak w/ black olive vinaigrette; Prosciutto lamb burgers; Turkey osso buco; Chicken scaloppine w/ saffron cream sauce; Roasted pork loin w/ roasted garlic vinaigrette; Swordfish poached in olive oil w/ broccoli rabe pesto; and Roasted halibut w/ grapefruit fennel salsa.

Strawberry & mascarpone granita; Chocolate panna cotta w/ amaretto whipped cream; Citrus semifreddo; Espresso chocolate mousse w/ orange mascarpone whipped cream; Ricotta cappuccino; Orange & chocolate zeppole; and Almond, pine nut & apricot coffee cake.

Polenta crusted shrimp w/ honey mustard; Parmesan fish sticks; Prosciutto mozarella pinwheels; Orecchiette w/ mini chicken meatballs; & Summer grilled fruit.....

[Sunny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Giada. I love her show. I love her cooking. I would love to marry her. However, she is not only taken, but also way out of my league. So the next best thing is to buy her book (sorta). However, this book is a bit different from the rest. Scanning through it are more of her recipes, nothing that really stands out as different from her previous books though. All great, but I was hoping for something new (but I'll edit this review if I'm mistaken once I give it a good read through). However, the one thing to note is the portfolio-like pictures there are in this book. There are more pictures of the lovely Giada than there is of the food. I'm not complaining for obvious reasons, but still. I'd like more of the food pictures. But keep the Giada pictures too, please...

[Ariel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great book by Giada. I had the pleasure of seeing her recently at the South Beach Food and Wine festival and she was every bit as nice in person as she is on TV. She took a lot of time with the children in the audience and answering questions. Nutella rocks! .Anyway on to the book. Even though this a "foodie" book there are many recipes that my family enjoys in here. I love the "not just for kids" section at the end. Many recipes call for mascarpone cheese, main dishes as well as desserts. Favorite recipes in this book include chicken scaloppine with saffron cream sauce, chicken with balsamic barbecue sauce, prosciutto mozarella pinwheels. fusilli alla caprese, and sweet and sticky chicken drumsticks. Delicious!

[Steven Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have used one of Giada De Laurentiis' cookbooks in the past, "Everyday Pasta," and found it useful for my cooking forays. This is another nice addition to her portfolio.

Some neat recipes are in this book--Tuscan mushrooms, asparagus and zucchini, asparagus lasagna, lemon risotto (I made my first risotto a month or so ago, and her advice, from my experience, is right on--you must continue stirring as you add broth/stock to the rice), and so on. The cookbook closes out with a cool feature--recipes that you can work on with your kids.

So, a nice resource in the kitchen.

[Jg · Rating 1 out of 5]

I went through this cookbook pretty quickly - there was literally only ONE recipe that really interested me. There were a few others that showed some promise, but had ingredients that at least one person in my family wouldn't appreciate. An example was the Asparagus Lasagna - I've made a veggie lasagna before (Ina Garten's Portobello Mushroom Lasagna, which is heaven), and this sounded yummy...except for sun dried tomatoes being an integral part of the dish.

I also prefer cookbooks to have pictures of each and every dish listed in it, and as with Giada's other cookbooks, this didn't. Sorry Giada, this only gets one star from me. :(

[Rachel C. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I LOVE Italian food. Love it. Really not a fan of Giada De Laurentiis as a television personality (get your boobs out of the food, woman!) but I do tend to enjoy the flavors she puts together.

Didn't have very many "Aha!" moments with this cookbook because I've seen so many of the recipes on TV (on mute, as I find her commentary annoying) but there were a handful of new ones I'm definitely going to try, the cornmeal cake and lamb ragu with ricotta topping among them.

Nice photos when provided, though not all recipes are pictured (as they should be, in my opinion).

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't find the recipes in this one quite as appealing. It could be the combination of the California experimentation with the Italian meals, or perhaps just that it's a bit more experimental in flavors. Not sure, but I do know I won't ever cook with at least 2/3 of the ingredients she uses in this book; some of them aren't even available to me locally. An ok book (looks complete and well tested) but not one I'll keep.

[angrykitty · Rating 2 out of 5]

so, giada is coming to sign books at the local b&n, and my friend is a totaly giada nut, so i didn't want to be that freak that showed up at a book signing without a book. then you look like you're just a stalker, and it's not like i'm even that big of a giada fan. i don't trust super thin cooks. it's wrong.....wrong i tell ya.

the section on kids recipes is by far the best.

[Cyburrchic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Giada. She has a great personality and her cooking style is similar to mine. She likes classics with her own twist. I have made many of her recipes with success. Also, unlike Rachael Ray, she uses a lot of the same items over and over. So you don't end up with an obscure item that you will never use again.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have tried the Apple and Thyme Martinis, Crispy Smoked Mozzarella with Honey and Figs, Red Pepper Cheesecake, Orecchiette with Mini Chicken Meatballs, Mascarpone Mini Cupcakes with Strawberry Glaze, Croissant Panini and Panini with Chocolate and Brie - all of which turned out GREAT! The book also does a nice job with the photography.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

My mouth was watering going through this whole book. I haven't purchased any of Giada's books prior to this one because I've already collected so many of her recipes from her show so I figured there wouldn't be anything new in her books. This book did have new recipes and I will be making a large number of them in the near future.

[Sherrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Feels odd to see a 'curried chicken salad' recipe in an Italian cookbook but this is Giada just riffin' on stuff, I guess. Her charm and toothy-purtiness still remains one of her main weapons. I guess I will stick to Marcella Haza & Lydia Bastianich for the real deal and peek into Giada's pages only time to time for inspiration.

[Elisabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll look it over, if there is something new in it, I will buy, own, and use it! I like her stuff/style. She agrees, peel and seed a tomato when you have time, use canned when you don't. The kitchen police won't come get you!

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully photographed cookbook and interesting recipes. I tried a few and had success on 1 and a disaster on the other (her recipe called for too much pasta).
Worth a look if only for the pictures which will inspire you to cook.

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I never thought I would say this of any Giada cookbook, but this just didn't do much for me.
Too many nonuseful recipes. Too many recipes with odd/hard to find ingredients.
I love all of her other cookbooks so far though.

[Mandy Kotter · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was a bit disappointed in this book. Simple, flavorful dishes are what I expect from Giada De Laurentiis and these recipes were a bit stuffier than I expected. I'm going to stick with her other cookbooks.

[Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've tried many things from this cookbook and everything has turned out delicious. One of my favorite things about these recipes are their versatility. Many of the sauces and ideas can be used with different things added in and they still taste great. It's turning into one of my go-to cookbooks.

[RH Walters · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very accessible recipes with a lot of photographs of the cook. I liked the chicken with ricotta cheese and salmon with whole-wheat pasta recipes. She also suggests broiling potatoes and zucchini with parmesan, which I'd like to try. She has some fun ideas and I'd look at other books by her.